12 Soccer Fans Crushed to Death in Zambian Stampede

LUSAKA, Zambia – At least 12 soccer fans were crushed to death as a crowd rushed from the stadium after Zambia's victory in an African Cup qualifier, official media said Sunday.

Fans were in a hurry to leave because the match against Republic of Congo, which Zambia won 3-0, started an hour late — the Sudanese referee arrived only three hours before kickoff, the state-owned Sunday Times reported.

The newspaper said three women and nine men were killed, all of them Zambian team supporters, and five fans were hospitalized after the accident Saturday at Konkola Stadium in the northern town of Chililabombwe in Zambia's Copperbelt province.